A long strip of material such as terrycloth is shipped in large rolls from textile mills to distribution areas. The rolls of material must be cut into smaller, individual lengths to provide individual towels to be sold to retail consumers. The towels are cut along fringe areas in the strip of material. Handcutting of the strip of material is too time consuming. Machine cutting methods and apparatus such as disclosed in prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,182,536 and 2,966,086 are either too complex or too expensive for local cutting operators.
The present invention combines non complex feeding, pulling, braking-sensing, and cutting apparatus into a relatively small, inexpensive towel cutting machine. The present invention provides an efficient machine for cutting strip material into short, individual towels.